A Slim Chance
by Lynnth2014
Summary: After taking two of Dawn's officers for Beth and Carol, Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, Noah, Sasha and Tyreese meet Dawn at Grady, face-to-face, for a peaceful trade. One of yours for one of mine. Nobody gets hurt. They all walk away.


"Wait!" Beth hurried over to Noah, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly, unaware of how Rick and Daryl both jerked toward her, not wanting her to do anything stupid. She didn't want him back with Dawn, back where abuse came at the drop of a hat. He had a family out there, and they were missing him. She knew how that felt, and she didn't want him to suffer here a second longer. She'd risked everything to get him out of there, and she wasn't going to let them take him back. She wasn't going to stand idly by and let it happen. They were all leaving here today, alive. She refused to let it end any other way. He was one of the good ones, and he didn't deserve this. She wouldn't let this stand.

Noah gave a short chuckle, his arms around her waist lightly. "It's okay," he told her, wanting her to understand she didn't do this. It was bound to happen, one way or another. At least Beth was going home. That's all he could ask for right now.

"I knew you'd be back," Dawn smugly said, almost smirking.

Beth's eyes lifted from Noah's shoulder to look at Dawn, taking in her words, her expression, her tone even, and she felt tears of pure seething hatred burn in her eyes. She slowly released Noah, her arms falling to her sides, and she stepped over to Dawn, their eyes locking. She ran her eyes over the woman in front of her, jaw clenched tightly, and she felt the cold metal of the surgical scissors in her cast. She felt the impulse to just thrust them into Dawn's jugular, but she stopped herself. She couldn't be stupid now, not with her family right behind her and at risk. "I get it now." Beth searched Dawn's eyes and held her ground, the groups behind both Dawn and Beth shifted ever so slightly. "But you _owe_ me this time. Without me, you'd be died, so you're goin' to let Noah leave with us."

"Excuse me?" Dawn challenged.

"You heard me. I didn't whisper." Beth lifted her chin. "We're all leavin' here today."

"Beth, I don't think you understand—"

"No, I don't think _you_ understand," Beth cut her off. "You didn't forget what happened, how I saved you, and like I said before: Noah's goin' home."

Dawn and Beth stood there for what felt like the longest time, the air growing thick with tension, and Dawn clenched her jaw now, her eyes burning. She didn't like this—being threatened in front of her people by a mere kid, having no choice but to act—and she didn't want to hurt Beth, but she couldn't lose her position. She just couldn't. But could she have a kid there that was heavily influenced by Beth? Noah had ran away once, and there was no telling what else Beth had planted in his mind while they plotted their little escape. She could start over, find someone new, and nobody would get hurt. She just had to make this work for _her,_ not because Beth _offered_ it.

"All right, _I_ will let Noah go, but I'm going to need my medical supplies back." Her eyes went to the bag one of her officers had given to the gross, long-haired man with a hole in his shirt along with the gray-haired woman. "We'll need those supplies for the people we're helping here."

Beth let out a sound that made Rick and Daryl both moved for her, Rick gripped her arm lightly, giving Dawn a nod and Daryl gave Noah a gentle push back toward the others. Daryl looked back at Dawn, his eyes glaring, and he shook his head.

"Do you have something to say to me?" She stood straighter.

"Just one thing." He stepped closer. "If I see you or any of your people followin' us, I will come back here, and I will kill you."

Tyreese handed the bag back to one of the men, setting a hand on Daryl's forearm and shaking his head. She wasn't worth it. They rejoined the group, Tyreese went to help Carol walk since Daryl was still fuming about how that bitch was treating Noah, how she probably treated Beth and maybe even Carol, and Carol was grateful for the help. Beth smiled at Noah, he returned it, and she wanted to laugh at the expression he made, like _whew, we made it out of here, praise the lord_. She glanced back at Daryl, and she just gave him a big hug. A better hug that the last one she gave him.

Daryl tensed up, not expecting the hug, but he welcomed it. They were still in the hospital, but the group of cops and wards at the end of the hall mostly dissolved, and they were all going home now. She was safe. She wasn't another dead girl. She wasn't Maggie or Carol or Michonne, and he was proud of that. She did really good. She survived on her own, and she handled Dawn in a way none of them could, because they didn't really know her. Beth was like a sponge. She'd absorbed the best of all of them, especially her father. Now, they were all going home, and again, Beth and Maggie would be back together. Nothing was lost, but a hell of a lot was gained.

She released him and smiled warmly at him then looked back at Dawn. She smirked and flipped her off, disappearing out of sight as Dawn scoffed and turned back to face Shepard, who met Dawn with a fist to the face. She fell on her ass, blood running down her nose and lips, and she looked up with wide eyes at Shepard. The young woman had never been so aggressive.

"That is it." Shepard leveled a finger at Dawn. "You stupid bitch! Do you know what could've happened? Do you?!"

"You don't—"

"No! You don't get to tell me what to do! The people here could have been killed, including you and me and all of the other officers! And for what? Don't tell me, I want you to think about it. I am done taking orders from you, just as you're done "leading" us." She scoffed. "You're pathetic." She shook her head in disgust and turned, striding down the hall away from Dawn. "Christ."

––

Arriving at the hospital, Maggie, Abraham, Glenn, Tara, Michonne and Gabriel climbed out of the firetruck, cautiously scooping out the situation. They approached the entrance of Grady Memorial, Tara and Gabriel were in the rear and Abraham, Michonne and Glenn took point. Glenn took out a walker that stumbled out from behind one of the tents toward them, and Michonne sliced her blade through a man walker's head, flicking her blade to remove the blood. As they neared the doors, they saw Rick exit, hand over his gun as always. He gave a nod to Maggie.

Maggie's heart began to pound rapidly in her chest, her arms lowering her rifle as well as Glenn and Abraham, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Sasha walked out next then Ty and Noah, who stood back to hold the door open, and Daryl followed with an arm around Carol. Beth was at Carol's other side, rubbing her arm gently and giving her reassuring smile.

Maggie's hand went numb, her entire body went numb as her eyes fell on that messy blonde ponytail, that dingy cardigan and yellow shirt where a heart dangled on a string, those holey jeans and dirty old cowgirl boots. The rifle in Maggie's hands fell to the ground, drawing her baby sister's attention away from Carol and toward the noise. Beth sucked in air that didn't reach her lungs, a soft, wheezy 'Maggie' escaping her lips. She looked over at her big sister, Maggie's unruly brown hair seemed her longer, her clothes seemed so different than the last time Beth saw her at the prison, and Maggie was a mess, just a dirt-caked mess, but she'd never been more beautiful, because she was _alive_. Then Beth was running, and Maggie smiled, so overwhelmed by joy that she was half-running, half-walking, still numb at the sight of her baby sister. Tears welled in her eyes, Beth embraced her in an airtight hug, and Maggie let out a cry that was almost a laugh.

"Beth." She gripped her tightly. "Beth!" Her voice was broken and happy, and she sobbed, smelling the scent of her little sister in her nose, along with the scent of the hospital. She could feel the stitches on Beth's cheek against her own cheek, and they would probably leave nasty scars, but the fact that her body would heal those wounds and that her body would also make them scar was a blessing. She had feared she would never see those big, blue eyes and that wide, happy smile ever again. She feared her lasts words to Beth were truly "It's your job. We've all got jobs to do.". Thank God that moment wasn't the last. Thank God she didn't have to attend another funeral. She couldn't have handled losing Beth. She couldn't even bring herself to think about her. Beth had always been sheltered from this world, and Maggie knew she was brave, knew she was strong, but the people in this world were twisted and sick, and she couldn't bear to think of what might have happened to her when she was kidnapped. After hearing about Randall's group and the Governor... No, she couldn't bear to think over all the ways men could've hurt her baby sister. She was so glad that they'd saved her. If she had an inkling as to where Beth was, she would've burned a path to and fro just to get her back.

"Maggie, I can't breathe." Beth laughed, but didn't make a move to let her go. Neither of them did. "I missed you so much! I didn't know what happened to you, but I knew you were alive! I knew it!"

Maggie pulled her back just enough to look at her. She smoothed down the wild hair that came loose from her ponytail and laughed. "I miss you too. I'm so glad you didn't listen to me and didn't get on that bus." She sniffed and just laughed again, unable to look away from her. Just as Glenn never needed a picture of Maggie, she would make sure she would never need a picture of Beth. "I'm a mess. I'm sorry." She wiped at her eyes.

Beth laughed and hugged her again. "It's okay." It was all going to be okay.

Tara smiled at the sight of them, glancing up at the sky where Lilly, Meghan and her dad were possibly watching over. Eh, they might have better things to do up there. She inhaled deeply, blinking back a few tears. She was glad Maggie and Beth were back together. Had something gone wrong with the exchange, she didn't want to imagine how this might have turned out. This was a miracle that they all needed. After the prison and after their dad, after all of the group's individual loses, they needed this. There was no cure, no church to go back to, but with this, they had hope. Hope that happy endings may be possible, hope that lost loved ones weren't always automatically dead, hope that maybe, just maybe this world wouldn't always be so cruel to them.

Sasha smiled to herself, thinking of Bob. He would've loved to have been there to see this. This was his thing, after all. Happy smile and happy reunions. She may have lost him, but she would try and keep what he brought to her alive. That was how she honored Bob. He was a good man, right until the end. She looked at her brother and gave him a half-hug.

Daryl heard a soft, sharp inhale from Carol, and he looked at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. He squeezed her hand comfortingly, and she shook her head. This was one of the most amazing things she'd seen since she found them at Terminus and showed Rick and Carl back to Judith and Sasha back to Tyreese. They were able to save Beth, save herself even. She smiled to herself as that beautiful angel's words played in her head:_ Everything works out the way it's supposed to_. If Mika and Lizzie were here right now, how different would this be? How different would she be? She would still be harboring guilt over Karen and David. She might even be dead, because Rick or Maggie may have let it slip that Carol was the one who killed Karen and David. And then Beth might be dead too or forever lost, because if she hadn't tried to flee the group, Daryl and she wouldn't have been out there to see that car drive by. She would always love her girls deeply, and she had to see the good in their deaths. Mika died without this world tainting her. She left this world as sweet and as innocent as she was when she brought into it. That was something only a few of their fallen had been able to do. And Lizzie didn't have to be confused anymore. She didn't have to try and understand how wrong her view of things were. They were...still now. No more pain, no more death, just still.

"Hey, hey, hey," Glenn teased, now that the tears were receding. "She's my sister too, and I demand a hug."

Beth smiled and hugged him tightly. "Heh, I miss you too...bro."

Glenn chuckled and rubbed her back.

Maggie wiped at her eyes and took a calming breathe as Michonne gave Beth a hug, and Glenn introduced Tara to Beth then Rosita and Abraham and Gabriel. Beth then introduced them to Noah, and Maggie hugged Rick and Ty and Sasha and Carol. It was a thank you she didn't have to give them, but she did. She thanked Daryl for protecting Beth after the prison and for coming to look for her. She thanked Carol as well.

They all headed for the firetruck, Maggie kept close to Beth, and Rick and Abraham spoke of Eugene's lie, and he just nodded, glancing back as Daryl scoffed, having heard. They all climbed, some of them had to sit up top to make room, but they all fit. As they headed back to location where Carl, Judith and Eugene were, they spoke of what they'd missed, and Noah mentioned his walls. Rick and Daryl exchanged a look. It was worth a shot. They no longer had a goal to work toward, and this place may be worth it. The past no longer mattered. They had a future to go and find, and they would find it together, possibly with Noah and where his walls were. It was a slim chance, but what the hell other chance did they have these days?


End file.
